Woven yam masks are an essential part of the yam harvest ceremonies and festivals put on by the Abelam people of the East Sepik Province. Yams can grow to be 12 feet long and play a vital role in the survival of these remote clans. Each year the men of a village will pick their best yams and decorate them with bright flowers, small decorative fruits and colorful leaves. The yams will be topped with either a basket or wooden mask. The masks are colored with mud and natural pigments. You can often tell if a mask has been used for many seasons by the build up that result from repainting the mask year after year. The rituals associated with yams form the basis of the spiritual life of the Abelam.